MBD Interviewed

Here are some excerpts from an MBD interview in the new JE magazine:

JE: We were told that most of the songs were composed by you.

MBD: Baruch Hashem. Yes, that is no different than any other time!

JE: What do you think about Jewish music nowadays? Where do you see it heading?

MBD: I don't know much about Jewish music. I only know about my albums. Even with my albums, I keep it simple. My son has been chasing me for three days now to listen to the final mix, and I haven't had the time to do it yet. I don't know what is out on the market. I hope it is going in the right direction. My objective in Jewish music is to highlight the neshama. Whether it is a song of joy and happiness or a song of emotion or seriousness, the tachlis is to reach the heart. Music is a medium to connect to the Ribono Shel Olam on a higher level. It is a ruchnius zach (thing), not a gashmiyus zach. Sometimes, music is used for narishkaiten (trivial things). We have to keep our eyes on the goal, that music is meant as a channel for kedusha.

JE: Over the past 30 years, do you feel that anything had changed in the Jewish market?

MBD: Sure. The technical qualities have drastically changed. It has become much more sophisticated. Additionally, the capabilities and possibilities are endless nowadays. The geshmak, the feeling, always comes back to the roots of Yidishkeit. That is what people really want to hear. The proof of that is Reb. Shlomo Carlebach ZT"L. He had simple and geshmake songs that connected people to the Rebono Shel Olam. You will notice in my new album that I took that derech as well.

JE: What message do you want to impart to your fans, to the Jewish community, who listens to your music?

MBD: I call them family. They are an extended family that has been listening to my music for years. It is all up to us to get to the goal. That goal is to bring Moshiach. In order to get to that goal we need Ahavas Yisroel, closeness to one another. In fact, one of the songs on the album is titles Ahavas Yisroel. It was written by Lipa Shmeltzer, who is very talented in his own right. I am amazed by him. The message is that without Ahavas Yisroel, we will never get anywhere. We have to break down all the barriers of nonsense. Everyone thinks, "It's my Rebbe, my Rosh Yeshiva, my chassidus..." We have to realize that we have one Reboinoi Shel Olam, Who is our Father, Who loves us, cares for us, and is waiting for us to realize the truth.

Some JE pieces can be found online here, but to read the rest of the MBD interview, you'll need to snag a copy of the mag.